The present invention relates to a new and improved method of, and apparatus for, processing of substantially flat products, in particular although not exclusively printed products, preferably printed products arriving in an imbricated formation.
Generally speaking, the method of the present development for the processing of substantially flat products, especially printed products, preferably arriving in imbricated formation, contemplates winding-up the products together with a tensioned winding band or strap, the width of which is preferably less than the width of the products, upon a winding core or mandrel in order to form a wound product package. The winding core or mandrel or, as the case may be, the wound product package forming thereupon is placed into rotation by a drive or drive means which acts upon the outer surface or circumference thereof.
As to the apparatus aspects of the present development, such processing apparatus for processing flat products, especially printed products, preferably printed products arriving in imbricated formation, comprises a winding core which can be rotatably driven by a drive arrangement acting at the outer surface or circumference thereof. There is also provided a rotatably mounted winding band spool or reel containing a winding band or strap which can be connected with the winding core or mandrel. The width of the winding band or strap is preferably less than the width of the products. There is also provided an infeed device for the infeed of the products to the winding core or mandrel and which products are to be wound-up in conjunction with the winding band or strap upon the winding core or mandrel in order to form thereupon a wound product package.
It is known in this technology to wind-up printed products arriving in an imbricated formation upon a winding core or mandrel in conjunction with a tensioned winding band or strap. Significantly in this regard are Swiss Pat. No. 642,602 and the cognate U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,618, granted Mar. 27, 1984. To that end the winding core is driven by a drive motor through the intermediary of a winder or winding transmission or gearing unit. This drive motor also drives a feed roll over which there is guided the winding band or strap which extends from the winding band spool or reel to the winding core or mandrel. The winding band spool or reel is slightly braked by a brake arrangement or brake unit.
In basically the same fashion there is accomplished the drive of the winding core and the generation of a tensional stress or tension in the winding band or strap which is payed-off of the winding band spool or reel with the equipment disclosed in the German Patent Publication No. 3,236,866 and the corresponding British Pat. No. 2,107,681 and the cognate U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,790, granted May 13, 1986.
In both solutions the drive system is of rather complicated construction. With the last-mentioned apparatus there also prevails the circumstance that the winding core and the winding band spool or reel are not stationarily mounted but in a mobile frame or frame unit. In order to couple the winding core and the feed or conveyor roll at the wind-up station and the unwinding station with the drive devices located in these stations, the frame or frame unit must be equipped with coupling arrangements or facilities, resulting in a relatively complicated construction of the frame or frame unit.
In the European Published patent application No. 0,135,080, published Mar. 27, 1985 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,751, granted June 18, 1985, there is disclosed a wind-up apparatus for printed products, wherein the winding core or mandrel and the winding band spool or reel are likewise mounted in a mobile frame or frame unit. However, the drive of the winding core or, as the case may be, the wound product package forming thereupon, is accomplished at the outer surface or circumference of the winding core or, as the case may be, the wound product package. Although as a consequence thereof there are only required the provision of coupling arrangements at the frame or frame unit for the driving of the winding band spool or reel, there is nonetheless still required a complicated construction. Additionally, with this prior art construction the danger exists that through the provision of the drive arrangement for the wound product package, which possesses a feed or conveyor band bearing at the circumference of the wound product package, the printed products are damaged. This phenomenon also is present in the case of the wind-up apparatus described in the British Pat. No. 1,275,674, published May 24, 1972.